Characterization of a new mitovirus infecting the phytopathogenic fungus Microdochium albescens

• Published in: Archives of virology 2021-12, Vol.166 (12), p.3455-3459
• Main Authors: de Rezende, Rafael Reis, de Oliveira Souza, Flávia, Leal, Lorhan Lima, Morgan, Túlio, Bermudez, Johan Manuel Murcia, Cascardo, Renan de Souza, de Barros, Danielle Ribeiro, Alfenas-Zerbini, Poliane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Annotated Sequence Record; Ascomycota - genetics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brazil; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Double-stranded RNA; Fungal Viruses - genetics; Fungi; genome; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Infectious Diseases; Medical Microbiology; Microdochium; Mitovirus; mycoviruses; New species; Open Reading Frames; Phylogeny; Phytopathogenic fungi; Plant Diseases; plant pathogenic fungi; rice; RNA polymerase; RNA Viruses - genetics; RNA, Double-Stranded; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNA-directed RNA polymerase; Scald; scald diseases; Virology
• ISSN: 0304-8608; 1432-8798
• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-021-05242-4

A novel mycovirus was identified infecting the phytopathogenic fungus Microdochium albescens. The characterized dsRNA segment, corresponding to the replicative intermediate of the mitovirus genome, is 2,562 base pairs (bp) in length, with an A+U content of 62.3%. A single open reading frame (ORF) was identified, encoding a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 706 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this virus should be classified as a member of a new species in the genus Mitovirus , family Mitoviridae, for which we propose the name " Mitovirus gaucho ". This is the first report of a mycovirus infecting the phytopathogenic fungus M. albescens , the causative agent of leaf scald on rice in Brazil.